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WESTERN MYANMAR
RAKHAING STATE
L’amitie Art Gallery ART GALLERY
(paintings $35-100; h7am-7pm) Located in a
simple hut opposite the Dukkanthein Paya,
L’amitie (French for ‘friendship’) is hung
with attractive canvases in oils and pastels
created by the 54-year-old ex civil servant,
Shwe Maung Thar and his son, Khine Minn
Tun (29).
The paintings are of landscapes and pas-
toral scenes (that skillfully capture the light
and tranquillity of Mrauk U), still-life com-
positions of vegetables, and portraits. Shwe
Maung Thar also painted the ceiling panels
in the central hall of Shittaung Paya.
In 2000 Trevor Wilson, Australia’s ambas-
sador to Myanmar at the time, met Shwe
Maung Thar and was so impressed with his
work that he helped arrange gallery shows
in Canberra in 2005 and 2007. Shwe Maung
Thar’s canvases have also been displayed at
a gallery in Vienna and a couple of galleries
in Yangon.
Whether you buy or not, Shwe Maung
Thar is very happy to chat.8 Information
In case of an emergency, the hospital at Sittwe
is your best bet. For minor bruises and stomach
upsets, friendly Dr Aye Maung Zan (%24200,
ext 50032; Main Rd), south of the market,
speaks English.
Mrauk U’s only internet connection is at the
Mrauk U Princess Hotel ($4 per hour).
The town shares a handful of telephone lines,
so most local numbers add on an extension. To
make an international call head to stalls around
the market off ering connections via cell phones.8 Getting There & Away
BOAT For information on boat services to Mrauk
U, see p 279.
The Mrauk U Jetty is about half a mile south
of the market. If you don’t want to get back by
government ferry, it’s often possible to jump
aboard a fellow traveller’s boat and share costs
for the ride. Negotiating a one-way ‘private boat’
ride may be possible too ($20).8 Getting Around
HORSE CART Rides around the temples costs
about K10,000 per day (the stand is just south-
east of the palace site).
JEEP Usually fi tting four plus a driver, a jeep
ride (arranged by your hotel or from the stand
on the north side of the palace site) should be
K4000 between the jetty and hotels, K18,000
around Mrauk U, or K30,000 to the Lemro River
or Mahamuni Paya.TRISHAW & BICYCLE Rides between the jetty
and hotels are K2000. Hotels can get you a
bicycle for K2000 or K3000, or you could rent
one for K1500 from the shop south of the bridge
leading to the central market.Around Mrauk U
The temples are only a part of the area’s at-
tractions. Tack on a few extra days here to en-
joy a relaxing boat ride down the Lemro River
to Chin villages, or to venture out to a couple
of archaeological and religious sites north of
Mrauk U that are of particular pride for locals.CHIN VILLAGES
The day trip from Mrauk U to various Chin
villages scattered along the nearby Lemro
River is recommended. The boat ride is nicer
than the one to Mrauk U from Sittwe because
of the chance to observe life (up close) on and
along the river. You can usually stop off at one
of the peanut, chilli or bean farms – located
on islands or on the riverside – that you pass
on the way. Time your trip for Tuesday or Sat-
urday to attend the busy morning market at
the village of Pan Mraun.
These boat trips don’t quite reach Chin
State, but they do provide an opportunity to
meet elderly Chin women who have tattooed
faces (p 310 ). This traditional practice ended a
couple of generations ago; unlike the sad situ-
ation of Padaung women (p 192 ), these chatty,
proud, old women are the last of their kind.
You may feel ambivalent about taking
photos but the women we met didn’t seem to
mind posing, having made a conscious deci-
sion to use their unique and soon-to-disap-
pear looks as a way of attracting tourists and
earning money for the betterment of their
impoverished communities. Simple weav-
ings are sold in the villages and without tour-
ist donations (you should plan on donating a
few thousand kyat) it’s highly unlikely that
there would be a school building, let alone
salaries for the teachers who work there. 8 Getting There & Away
BOAT Typical trips, which your guesthouse or
hotel can help arrange, begin at 7am or 8am and
include a two- to three-hour boat ride each way,
and an hour or so at a couple of villages. The
charge is $90 and includes jeep transfers to the
boat, a simple lunch and an English-speaking
guide for a boat accommodating up to four pas-
sengers. There’s not much in the way of food
or drink to buy in the Chin villages so pack any
extra snacks and water you’ll need.